From Stuff
"Ngai Tahu will not fly the controversial tino rangatiratanga flag during Waitangi Day celebrations in Canterbury tomorrow, with a tribe member saying the "flag has been nothing but trouble".
It will hoist the New Zealand flag and the Flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, an 1834 design, during celebrations at the Onuku Marae near Akaroa."
Ngai Tahu elders last night also chose to fly the United Tribes flag ahead of the iwi's modern flag, designed nine years ago.
Maori historian and Ngai Tahu member Te Maire Tau said the tino rangatiratanga flag had negative connotations for the iwi.
"For our tribe, that flag has been nothing but trouble," he said. "Quite often people opposing a Ngai Tahu settlement were flying the tino rangatiratanga flag."
He said the United Tribes flag was significant for Maori.
"It is quite important because it recognised our capacity to trade overseas and recognised our independence," he said.
"This flag is an admission by the British Empire of Maori independence – we don't need the New Zealand Government to recognise us."So what if some people that oppose Ngai Tahu have flown the tino rangatiratanga flag - to say the flag has been nothing but trouble ignores the positives that have come from the flag.
How many of our people had flags at Hui a Tau and which one were they flying?
2 comments:
Kia ora Marty
Down in the South of the South our Runanga flies the Rangatiratanga flag whenever we are at the marae and we have been known to take down the District Council Flag and raise the "maori" flag for important occasions.
So take it from me that not all Ngai Tahu think like Te Maire and he certainly does not speak for us. Let each marae decide for themselves.
Kia ora anon
i'm looking forward to coming deep south to visit whanau and marae this year. Thank you for keeping the home fires burning.
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